TEAMS of young graffiti busters are coming to the streets of Hampshire in a bid to wipe out the hallmarks of persistent vandalism.

Youngsters are to be tasked with cleaning up daubs of paint left by yobs blighting Hedge End, West End and Botley.

Under the supervision of local youth workers, the volunteer "graffiti squads" will target areas in the town and its two neighbouring parishes which have been most badly affected.

The scheme has been launched by Eastleigh Borough Council as part of a three-year package of funding from the area's youth work project. Project organisers have been told that revenue contributions from the council's local area committee will only be released if the graffiti squads are up and running by next year.

A spokesman for the council said: "The project's revenue funding in the first and subsequent years will be released subject to the detached youth work team organising a graffiti squad of young people who will remove graffiti in each of the parish and town areas.

"The exact routes will be planned according to where graffiti is most prevalent.

"The graffiti squad will be made up of volunteer young people under the supervision of the detached youth work staff. They will use non-toxic cleaning materials."

The scheme, which will see the squad out in force in each area for one evening next summer, is the latest attempt to crackdown on local vandalism. In October, the Echo reported how traders in West End raised a 2,000-strong petition calling for measures to deal with groups of young vandals. Earlier this year, Hedge End councillor Sheila Coslett-Derby celebrated a victory in her own campaign to clean up graffiti blighting the town centre.

Mrs Coslett-Derby said: "It is an excellent idea. From Hedge End's experience it seems once its cleaned it tends to stay away."